Nursing and midwifery : a legal perspective

Abstract

The essence of nursing lies in the unique interplay of intuition, logical thought, knowledge and compassion for others. Nowadays nurses are required to be competent in a variety of areas ranging from patient physical care to organisation, planning and interpersonal relations. Nurses now have to adapt quickly to changing circumstances for the benefit of the patient and for the benefit of the profession itself. Failing to adapt not only exposes the patient to unnecessary risks but also stultifies professional development. The role of nurses has expanded over the last two decades and is undergoing continuous development in order for it to meet the ever-demanding increasing demands of society. Though a very demanding profession, nursing provides an excellent opportunity for continual professional development or a career path in a wide-ranging variety of areas. Yet due to this diversity and continuous change and evolution in knowledge and development, it is inevitable that legal provisions reflecting these rapid changes are absent. Logically, the most common query is about the nurses' and midwives' position at law. During my talk I shall be tackling this legal perspective from two angles namely: those provisions which provide for the regulation of the profession in so far as qualifications are concerned and secondly other more general provisions which deal with the regulation of the professional's actions.